As I start to look back at what has happened this year I realize more and more how life is flying by. The older we get the faster it flies. It's funny how we can say things like "Life is short so we need to enjoy it" or "Live every day as if it were your last because one day it will be" but yet we find it impossible to reach. The trials of life are unavoidable and it's impossible to enjoy every single day of your life. Now don't get spiritual on me by saying that nothing is impossible with Jesus. You know what I mean. What I'm saying is that even though James 1:2-4 says to "count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and whole, lacking nothing" we still fall into our temptations. When we think about temptations we rarely ever think about being tempted to get into pity parties but we do. The trials of life can really drag you down but there is always something that crosses my mind. There is always someone that has it worst than you. I know that may not help some people but sometimes we can be so selfish that we don't realize how blessed we are.

I looked back at this year and have seen a change in me, some good and some not so good. I will always be looking to change for the better but I thank God for his mercy and not taking me out. The first 3 verses in Psalms 136 talks about giving thanks to Him because his mercy endures forever. That alone should be enough to give Him thanks. I know that I will always need his mercy. In a time where the economy is at its worst in many years, people are relying on us to be the Church more than ever. In 1Thes. 5: 8 it says that the Church is of the day which for me means that we are light. Then it goes on to say for us to have faith, love and hope for salvation. 1Thes 5:11 talks about comforting and lifting up one another which in these times are needed. This is followed by Paul telling the Church to pursue good towards all, rejoice, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. In everything!!!! We are not promised our next breath but some of us take life for granted. Our lives can change in seconds and those things that worry us all of a sudden, don't mean much. We need to thank God as often as we can; for our families, friends, job, food, home and cars. Most of all we need to thank Him for the Holy Spirit and the air that allows us to breathe. It's funny how the word Spirit actually means breath and in this case the Holy Spirit being the breath of God which gives us our spiritual lives. No matter what the circumstances we are in we should always give thanks to God. This is part of where our faith and hope comes through. Try to thank Him every day especially through the tough times. We know it's easy to thank him through the good but our faith truly shows in the bad.